About
86
Publications
84,520
Reads
How we measure 'reads'
A 'read' is counted each time someone views a publication summary (such as the title, abstract, and list of authors), clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the full-text. Learn more
877
Citations
Introduction
Additional affiliations
October 2010 - present
January 2010 - February 2015
Publications
Publications (86)
The side bridge test (SBT) is one of the most popular tests to assess isometric trunk lateral flexor endurance. The aim of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the SBT in healthy females. Twenty-four (24.58 ± 3.92 years) physically active (1–2 h of moderate physical activity, 2–3 times a week) females voluntarily participated in...
Background
The aim of this study was to analyze the shoulder functional profile (rotation range of motion [ROM] and strength), upper and lower body performance, and throwing speed of U13 versus U15 male handball players, and to establish the relationship between these measures of physical fitness and throwing speed.
Methods
One-hundred and ninetee...
To analyze how balance and other physical capacities evolved after surgery in patients with a bimalleolar fracture and how these capacities and clinical variables (immobilization or unloading time) contribute to restoring patients’ functionality, 22 patients and 10 healthy people (HC) were assessed for static and dynamic balance (Y-Balance test, YB...
Ankle fractures can cause significant functional impairment in the short and long term. In recent years, gait analysis using inertial sensors has gained special relevance as a reliable measurement system. This study aimed to evaluate the differences in spatiotemporal gait parameters and clinical–functional measurements in patients with bimalleolar...
The complexity of the center of pressure (COP) provides important information regarding the underlying mechanisms of postural control. The relationships between COP complexity and balance performance are not fully established and might depend on the task constraints and the filtering decomposition of the COP signal. This study assessed COP complexi...
Background: Tennis is one of the most popular sports among youth. At elite levels, a notable increase in injury incidence and a temporary decline in performance may occur when children progress through puberty. However, limited research has explored maturity-associated variations in clinical measurements suggested as predictors of injury and tennis...
Background
Visually induced dizziness can develop as a sequala of a vestibular disorder and is characterized by symptoms of nausea, dizziness, and imbalance in rich visual environments such as supermarkets and shopping malls. To date the mechanisms underlying visually induced dizziness are poorly understood.
Research Question
What are the characte...
Background: Ankle fractures can cause significant functional impairment in the short and long term. In recent years, gait analysis using inertial sensors has gained special relevance as a reliable measurement system. Objectives: In patients with bimalleolar ankle fracture, to identify the differences between the operated and healthy ankle in the sp...
Advances in technology provide an opportunity to enhance the accuracy of gait and balance assessment, improving the diagnosis and rehabilitation processes for people with acute or chronic health conditions. This study investigated the validity and reliability of a smartphone-based application to measure postural stability and spatiotemporal aspects...
The lack of training load control, mainly exercise intensity, is one of the main limitations of core stability (CS) programs, which makes the training individualization and the analysis of the dose-response relationship difficult. The objectives of this study were to assess the inter-and intra-rater agreement when using new observational screening...
Currently, it is not fully understood how motor variability is regulated to ease of motor learning processes during reward-based tasks. This study aimed to assess the potential relationship between different dimensions of motor variability (i.e., the motor variability structure and the motor synergies variability) and the learning rate in a reward-...
Abstract: Core stability (CS) deficits can have a significant impact on lower limb function. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between two dynamic core exercise assessments and dynamic knee valgus during single-leg squats. In total, 20 physically active female students participated in this study. The OCTOcore smartphone appl...
In tennis, coaches consider balance fundamental for the acquisition of skilled motor performance. However, the potential relationship between balance and tennis expertise and performance has not been explored yet. Therefore, this study assessed the relationship between balance and tennis performance using linear and non-linear parameters through 1)...
Objective:
Research on muscle performance testing reliability in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) has focused on limb performance while less is known about trunk strength and endurance. The objective is to 1) establish test-retest reliability of Trunk Flexion, Lateral Flexion and Extension strength tests, and Plank, Side-Bridge and Biering-So...
Background
Balance impairment is a common feature in people with cerebral palsy (CP), impacting the performance of daily‐life and physical activities.
Objectives
This study aimed to (a) explore the absolute and relative intra‐session reliability of two balance tests to assess dynamic and static balance in ambulant para‐athletes with CP; (b) explor...
Background and objectives: Fatigue is one of the most disabling symptoms that limit daily life activities in persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). This study aimed to evaluate the effects of maximal strength training (MST) on perceived-fatigue and functional mobility in pwMS. Materials and Methods: 26 participants with MS were balanced according...
The aim of this systematic review is to analyze how, after additional trunk-focused training programs (ATEP), motor recovery after a stroke is modulated by potential effect modifiers. Twenty randomized controlled studies that carried out ATEP were included. Results showed moderate-to-high effects in favor of ATEP for trunk function, balance ability...
Background
Ankle fractures are among the most common traumatic fractures and have a great socio-economic impact. Consequences of an ankle fracture requiring surgical treatment (e.g. pain, reduced ankle range of motion (ROM), muscle weakness, etc.) lead to balance deterioration, which has a profound impact on activities of daily living. However, to...
Postural control is considered a key variable in team sports, such as handball, which require abilities strongly related to balance. However, postural control and its relationship to the performance of handball skills according to the players’ skill level and age has not been evaluated to date. This study analyzes the relationship between balance a...
Disability progression is a prominent feature of multiple sclerosis (MS). However, little is known about the extent to which physical condition parameters and perceived fatigue evolve during the disease. We analyzed how strength, balance, core stability and perceived fatigue differ among different cohorts of people with MS (PwMS) with different dis...
To investigate the effects of a badminton competition with 2 matches in a day on hip strength and range of motion (ROM) and exercise-induced muscle damage in elite junior badminton players. Twenty players (age: 17±0.8 years; body mass: 62.9±6.5 kg, height: 173.8±8.9 cm) participated in this study. Passive hip internal (IR) and external rotation (ER...
Purpose: The intensity progression of core stabilization exercises (CSEs) is usually
based on personal criteria rather than on objective parameters. To develop exercise
progressions for four of the most common CSEs based on the postural control challenge
imposed on the participants, and to analyze the effect of participants’ sex and postural
contro...
Trunk function is a core factor to allocate Boccia players with cerebral palsy in BC1 and BC2 sport classes, according to the Boccia International Sports Federation (BISFed). However, the appropriateness of the current test to assess trunk function has never been studied to determine its reliability, validity and sensitivity to discriminate between...
Objectives:
Spastic hemiplegia is one of the most common forms of cerebral palsy, in which one side of the body is affected to a greater extent than the other one. Hemiplegia severity (i.e. moderate vs mild forms) is currently used in some Para sports for classification purposes. This study evaluates the sensitivity of several tests of stability (...
From the theoretical framework offered by the self-determination theory, the objective of the study was to test a predictor model of bullying behaviors based on the physical education teacher’s supportive style, the students’ satisfaction of basic psychological needs, and self-determined motivation. A total of 608 students of both sexes, between 11...
Objective:
The aims of this study were to analyze the shoulder functional profile of young male and female tennis players and to establish the relationship among physical variables and serve speed.
Methods:
A total of 128 Spanish tennis players (Under-13 (n = 32/32 males/females) and Under-15 (n = 36/28 males/females), were tested during Nationa...
The aim of this experiment was to assess if the previously supported relationship between the structure of motor variability and performance changes when the task or organismic constraints encourage individuals to adjust their movement to achieve a goal. Forty-two healthy volunteers (aged 26.05 ± 5.02 years) performed three sets of cyclic pointing...
Although core stability (CS) has been assessed through many different tests, the relationships among them are currently unknown. The main objective was to analyse the relationship between five representative tests used to assess CS in: i) laboratory settings: Sudden Loading Test (SLT) and Stable and Unstable Sitting Test (SUST); ii) field settings:...
Although core stability (CS) training is largely used to enhance motor performance and prevent musculoskeletal injuries, the lack of methods to quantify CS training intensity hinders the design of CS programs and the comparison and generalization of their effects. The aim of this study was to analyze the reliability of accelerometers integrated int...
The same core stability isometric exercise elicits different pelvis acceleration in two individuals.
The individuals in this manuscript have given written informed consent (as outlined in PLOS consent form) to publish these case details.
(MP4)
Different core stability isometric exercises elicit similar pelvis acceleration in two individuals.
The individuals in this manuscript have given written informed consent (as outlined in PLOS consent form) to publish these case details.
(MP4)
Alterations in the shoulder range of motion (ROM) and strength levels affect performance in racket sports. However, the changes in these variables have not been measured during a badminton competition. The aim of the present study was to analyse the effects of playing
two badminton matches on the same day on the shoulder profile (i.e., ROM and stre...
Trunk control (TC) impairment is a typical feature in individuals with cerebral palsy (CP), but there are lack of methods that allow to quantify the extent to which static and dynamic TC is impaired in adults with moderate-to-severe CP. Thus, the aims of this study were to analyze the reliability of a posturography protocol to assess TC in adults w...
Background:
Postural control has been associated with the functional impairment in persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). However, there is a need for reliable methods to assess postural control in early stages of the disease, when subtle changes can be difficult to detect. The aims of this study were to assess the absolute and relative reliabili...
Purpose:
To analyse the relationship between several parameters of neuromuscular performance with unilateral dynamic balance measured through the Y-Balance test, as well as to determine the possible sex-related differences.
Methods:
The Y-Balance test, isokinetic (concentric and eccentric) knee flexion and extension strength, isometric hip abduc...
Background:
Although the Star Excursion Balance test (SEBT) has shown a good intra-session reliability the inter-session reliability of this test has not been deeply studied. Furthermore, there is an evident high influence of the lower-limbs in the performance of the SEBT so even if it has been used to measure core stability it is possibly not the...
Although the advance in disease-modifying drugs has helped to stabilize the multiple sclerosis (MS) course increasing life-expectancy, physical deterioration still supervenes over time in most MS patients. In this context, physical exercise programs are considered a safe and well-tolerated tool to preserve functional independence in this population...
Background
Boccia is a paralympic sport played by athletes with severe neurological impairments affecting all four limbs. Impaired manual dexterity (MD) and intralimb coordination (ILC) may limit individuals’ ability to perform certain activities such as grasping, releasing, or manipulating objects, which are essential tasks for daily life or to pa...
While most trunk endurance field protocols are performed in the sagittal or frontal planes, the flexion-rotation trunk (FRT) test combines trunk flexion with rotation, which may be relevant to rotation-related sports. The aim of this study was to describe the trunk and hip muscle activation and fatigue and the range of hip flexion of this test. Twe...
Recent studies have found that motor variability is actively regulated as an exploration tool to promote learning in reward and error-based tasks. Based on this functional role of variability, several researches have manipulated motor variability by practicing in order to maximize learning processes. However, the effectiveness of such variable prac...
Background:
Despite the high groin-injury (GI) prevalence in tennis, no studies have assessed the extent to which intrinsic groin injury risk factors, such as hip muscle strength, have recovered in elite tennis players with a history of previous GI.
Objective:
To investigate whether elite tennis players with a history of GI show differences in h...
This study tested whether a compensatory hypothesis exists on postural control during standing unstable balance tasks comparing blind soccer players (n = 7) to sighted soccer players (n = 15) and sighted sedentary individuals (n = 6). All subjects performed a pre-test, a training of ten practice trials on a single day, and a post-test balance test....
Different methods have been developed to quantify trunk muscle strength and endurance. However, some important protocol characteristics are still unclear, hindering the selection of the most suitable tests in each specific situation. The aim of this study was to examine the reliability and the relationship between 3 representative tests of the most...
The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of playing two tennis matches on the same day on physical performance in young tennis players. Twelve well-trained young tennis players took part in a simulated tennis competition consisting of two tennis matches on the same day (morning and afternoon sessions). Before and the day after the compe...
Recent studies show that motor variability is actively regulated as an exploration tool to promote learning in reward-based tasks. However, its role in learning processes during error-based tasks, when a reduction of the motor variability is required to achieve good performance, is still unclear. In this study, we hypothesized that error-based lear...
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and the learning effect of an isokinetic trunk flexion-extension protocol designed to simultaneously assess trunk muscle strength and endurance. In addition, the effect of the participants' sex on the reliability data was examined.
Methods:
Fifty-seven healthy and physically activ...
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156267.].
Background:
Although unstable seat methodology has been used to assess trunk postural control, the reliability of the variables that characterize it remains unclear.
Objective:
To analyze reliability and learning effect of center of pressure (COP) and kinematic parameters that characterize trunk postural control performance in unstable seating....
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Ankle sprains are injuries that commonly occur during physical activity. They constitute between 15-75% of all sport injuries, and they can develop into chronic ankle instability (CAI) and functional disability. Subjects with CAI have exhibited diminished dynamic balance and weakness in the hip abductor muscles. Therefore, th...
This study investigated the extent to which specific interacting constraints of performance might increase or decrease the emergent complexity in a movement system, and whether this could affect the relationship between observed movement variability and the central nervous system’s capacity to adapt to perturbations during balancing. Fifty-two heal...
Trunk/core stability is considered a key component of training programs, because it could contribute to prevention of low-back and lower-limb injuries and to sports performance. Based on the specificity principle, sports-related trunk stability tests would be required in elite sports performance. However, there may be some generic qualities underly...
Although trunk muscle function has been suggested to be a determinant of judo performance, its contribution to high-level performance in this sport has been poorly studied. Therefore, several tests were used to assess the differences in trunk muscle function between 11 international and 14 national level judo practitioners (judokas). Trunk strength...
Raw data of all variables analysed in this study.
(XLSX)
Introduction: In Paralympic Sports is crucial to use tools to discriminate between sport classes. In our study it has been used the electromechanical delay (EMD) of finger extensors during ball realizing in two different situations: with/without command constrains to discriminate between BC1 and BC2 Boccia classes. Material and Methods: Twenty-eigh...
El objetivo de este trabajo fue revisar las características de los métodos utilizados para valorar la estabilidad de la zona central del cuerpo (core stability), así como las características más importantes de los programas de ejercicios de estabilización del tronco. Los resultados de la revisión indican que métodos biomecánicos, como la aplicación...
The aim of this study was to review both the characteristics of the tests used to assess core stability and the most important features of trunk stabilization exercise programs. The results of this review suggest that biomechanical methods such as sudden and controlled trunk loading and unloading, unstable sitting paradigm and mathematical modeling...
In this work we present a scientific literature review on core stability with the aim of clarifying the meaning of this concept and its relation with sport performance and injury. The results of this review show that the use of the term core stability is ambiguous, as there is a great terminological confusion in both scientific literature and profe...
Trunk exercise speed has significant effects on neuro-mechanical demands; however, the influence of a variety of exercise speeds on motor control of the trunk displacement remains unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of performance speed on trunk motion control during the curl-up exercise by analyzing the kinematic variance about...
The authors' aim was to determine which variables allow for the characterization of motor balance behavior. Traditional measures and nonlinear measures of center of pressure (COP; n = 30) and kinematics (n = 10) were tested in their absolute and relative consistency in a 30-s standing balance task protocol under stable and unstable conditions. Rega...
A glenohumeral internal rotation deficit of the dominant shoulder relative to the non-dominant shoulder (GIRD) is considered a risk factor for shoulder injury in overhead athletes. The aim of this study was to investigate whether professional tennis players with a history of self-reported shoulder pain show differences in rotation range of motion (...